Bettymania goes on and on. In case you find the NBC gift shop's "Betty is my Homegirl" tee a little desperate, the network is providing Movieline's commenters with a prototype product that rings with authenticity and has yet to hang alongside the Sam Waterston hoodies and Biggest Loser muumuus: It's parts of the actual Betty White! The piecess aren't specified quite yet, but the press release claims they're "hilarious," "gory," "spry and in love with life." Yahoo! She's yours. So, which of our commenters this week go home with the prize?
more »
It's the end of an (initially exciting, then terribly frustrating) era. NBC has decided to completely cut the cord on Heroes -- that's right, no reduced episode order, no miniseries, no wrap-up movie, no nothing. It was quick and brutal, and unlike the deaths on the show itself, this one's going to stick. [THR]
Roman Polanski's already-embattled fortunes just took a turn for the worse. Today in Los Angeles, actress Charlotte Lewis (who starred in Polanski's Pirates) accused the director of sexually abusing her when she was 16. Was it illegal? Not necessarily, as the age of consent in Paris is 15. Is it an added headache for Polanski? Most definitely.
more »
Veronica Callahan's defibrillators have been shut down. NBC's first-season drama Mercy, like its extreme counterpart Trauma, has been canceled. I'm unsurprised with both decisions but only disappointed with Mercy. Taylor Schilling was irreverent but sincere in the lead role, Jaime Lee Kirchner won me over as Nurse Sonia, and Michelle Trachtenberg seemed poised for a full mainstream takeover in her first big network role. And to think how excited this cast was when they found out they were picked up for a back nine -- at a strip club. [THR]
The Say Whaaaa? Singers are off this week, closely monitoring the news that Lindsey Lohan may skip her court-mandated alcohol-education classes to attend Cannes. While I wait for them to report back, I've got an incredulous dispatch of my own to file: Tyler Perry was robbed! (And not just of a Best Screenplay Oscar nomination for The Family That Preys, either!) Now, the multi-hyphenate wants your help in finding the "idiot" who ran up his credit card bill by more than $28,000 in nine days.
more »
Not to be outdone by the inexplicable trend of Shrek-inspired weddings, a young engaged couple named Lynette and James decided that for their engagement photoshoot, they'd take a cue from the suddenly iconic "courtship and marriage" sequence from Pixar's Up. Enjoy this series of their pictures inspired by the movie, because as we all know, things are about to get real bad in about ten minutes.
more »
· Suddenly, WB has begun releasing more stills from Jonah Hex, including this one. It's almost like they plan to put it out into theaters or something!
· Nicolas Winding Refn wants to direct Wonder Woman? OK, as long as it doesn't push back his Channing Tatum stripper epic.
· Edward Norton may be friends with Will Ferrell, but he won't use the actor's patented sunscreen, Sexy Hot Tan. "I'm afraid it would make me pale and hairy like Will."
· Robin Wright and Philip Seymour Hoffman are signing up for Moneyball.
· What did Russell Brand learn from once putting a Mattel toy up his rear during an onstage show? "If you're going to make a satirical point involving putting things in your rectum, be selective," he told Playboy. "Don't take requests from the audience. I ultimately went with a Barbie doll because of the shape. It goes in easier, if you know what I mean."
As the 63rd Cannes Film Festival hits its stride this weekend, the international film culture is grappling with some of the most serious issues it has faced in decades. Money is tight, piracy is rampant, a 3-D future looms, and Oliver Stone has a mustache. It's true: Oliver Stone has a mustache. But should he?
more »
Keep the flame burning for Skids and Mudflap! Michael Bay may have denied that the two racist robots would return for Transformers 3, but spies keep snapping pictures of two green and orange Autobots that sure seem like they're our guys. This is like John Corbett in Sex and the City 2 all over again! [Left Lane via Slashfilm]
What's Charlie Kaufman been up to since writing and directing Synechdoche, New York? Oh, just putting a polish on some of the biggest animated franchises in town. THR brings word that the venerated screenwriter spent two weeks punching up Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom, while a Slashfilm commenter in the know says Kaufman pulled the same duty on Shrek Forever After. Should either of the movies existentially fold in on themselves, I guess we'll know for sure. [THR via Slashfilm]
A grumpier-than-usual Russell Crowe today fled a BBC talk-show appearance when the host dared to suggest his Robin Hood accent featured "hints of Irish." Wrong, wrong, wrong, said Crowe. "You've got dead ears mate. You've seriously got dead ears if you think that's an Irish accent," he continued. "Bollocks ... I'm a little dumbfounded you could possibly find any Irish in that character. That's kind of ridiculous. It's your show. Whatever." Pressed further if he was going for Northern England, the Aussie spat, "No, I was going for an Italian, yeah. Missed it?" Toss in a few F-bombs and an early exit... you know, the usual. [Guardian]
· Interested in another potential action franchise starring Sam Worthington? Oh. Well, DreamWorks is planning one anyway around Quatermain, the hero of the famous book series by H. Rider Haggard. This one, however, leans sci-fi, with titular explorer returning from a space expedition only to find that humans have vacated Earth. Adventure ensues, probably in 3-D. Worthington will also produce. [THR]
One of those Three Musketeers films finds a buyer, Patrick Dempsey breaks up a robbery, and more Hollywood Ink after the jump.
more »
Welcome back to Movieline Attractions, your regular guide to everything new, noteworthy and/or bloated beyond reason. Another packed summer week delivers a would-be blockbuster, an accomplished chick flick and a wild card of counter-counterprogramming that might just find the niche it's looking for. And this week's underdog is one for the ages.
more »
· After Betty White, this week's SNL host Alec Baldwin has got a tough act to follow. In the promo below, watch as the pressure forces him to take out his frustrations on Will Forte's nipple. Eh, it'd be a funnier if an old lady did it.
more »
It's been a rough week for Newsweek writer Ramin Setoodeh: after writing an editorial about how he can't buy gay actors in straight roles, he was eviscerated by Kristin Chenoweth and made the target of a boycott by Glee creator Ryan Murphy, despite his hasty attempt to reframe his intentions. Today, though, Setoodeh found an unlikely defender in The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin.
more »
